COMPUTER PURCHASE:
Before buying and especially if you're a STEM or Business or Art major, check out the recommendations for system specifications in your department. Some major brands have customized packages with pre-loaded required software.
ACADEMIC and STUDENT Pricing. Once you have your campus ID, most major carriers do provide 5, 10 and even 25% discounts on products, and there are back-to-school specials. Click on the appropriate campus sub-links at Apple, Dell, etc. to take advantage of these discounts unavailable to the general public. Your campus bookstore may already have the link on their website for purchasing your new laptop.
BUDGETING
Whether you family saved for college or your student has a hefty merit or financial aid package, there are some costs your family may not have yet considered. It's actually a good time to have the important conversation about the "entertainment budget" before your student leaves home. Is there an understanding of what is reasonable? If you need to set boundaries, having this important conversation prior to seeing the first month's credit card charges for $500 of late night pizza and Starbucks is essential to continued family harmony.
Is Greek life in your future? Have you anticipated the cost in your annual budget? Dues at the local and national levels approach $1500 - $2k plus the extra costs of semi-formals, formals, formalwear, mandatory events (yes, fraternities have parties and the brothers are expected to foot the bill) etc. Have an open discussion with your student on who will be paying for the monthly cost of joining a sorority. All Greek houses will have a confidential discussion with the board if you need to request financial assistance. Don't be embarrassed to request a dues adjustment especially if you are on financial aid and your family budget is strained to the max.
ACADEMICS:
AP Credits-What classes should you repeat?
If you're a recipient of an internal or external scholarship, keep in mind there will be minimum GPA requirements to continue receiving monies= typically a 3.0 G.P.A.. No matter how strong a student you were in high school be prepared to earn a few "Bs" and maybe even a "C" during your freshman year! Some of the most difficult courses are in STEM fields where students should expect to struggle in the demanding workload of weekly problem sets that can take 15 to 20 hours of your time at the most competitive academic programs.
I will never forget the Aerospace major who was my Princeton tour guide a few years ago commenting on how lucky he and his peers felt to earn a "C" on some particular "weeder" course. Likewise, at Carnegie Mellon and MIT many sophomores drop and repeat a specific required math class in discrete mathematics.
This brings me to the point - should you enroll in Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Biology even if you've met the AP score threshold? Some universities will offer placement exams to help you determine. A "3" demonstrates that you didn't sufficiently master course content and you are very likely unprepared to tackle 200-level classes in the same subject. The reasons for repeating a class are two-fold. First and foremost, you will have a stronger academic foundation in the subject material completing a class on campus rather than high school. Doing so provides the added bonus of an "easier 'A'" in the initial semester. Another advantage to taking these classes is that you will form study groups with your freshman peers in foundation coursework for your major.
If you would like some guidance, please reach out - I've counseled incoming freshman on college campuses for decades and can help you determine the decision that feels right for you-your transition is multi-faceted.
Success means many things! Rushing through college is not the definition of success.
Academic Preparedness? Be confident and look back at all you've accomplished in your thirteen+ years of school thus far. Be honest with yourself - you know what works well and you know what is still in need of adjustment. Once you arrive on campus make yourself aware of all the resources should you struggle.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT at COLLEGE:
Teaching Assistants and Faculty office hours are the first step to gaining more from your courses. Faculty love to engage with students outside of the classroom and you should make it a habit of attending office hours regularly for clarity and tips about materials. You may even land a research assistantship in a subsequent semester taking the time to get to know your faculty members.
Forming peer groups to tackle weekly problem sets and homework assignments is essential. Look around the first days of class- do you see familiar faces in class that live in your dorm? Take the lead and create small groups. Ideally, having the same group for a few classes makes coordinating scheduling much more manageable.
Academic tutoring and support is available on both small and large campus. You will find peer and graduate students holding additional one-on-one and small group instruction to help you with writing and problem sets in a broad array of freshman/entry point classes.
DISABILITIES and ACCOMMODATIONS
If you had an accommodation in high school, please reach out to the appropriate team ASAP to initiate the process of securing your accommodations.
Parents- I know you already understand that you will be unable to discuss this matter with the ADA office or Counseling center without your student's waiver and release.
We all want our students to launch and be their own best advocates. !! Let your student take the lead on whether to sign that release. This is an important time for continuing to gain their
independence.
At no time will parents be able to discuss anything academic with a professor. FERPA requirements are strict.
Please take my next comment with the best of intentions for continued
independence. Is there a reason a parent will need the student's campus login or have a need to be monitoring grades and performance of your freshman (adult)? While we all understand that parents' continued financial commitment rests on academic success and responsible adult behaviors while in college, a student's transcript and academic performance at the collegiate level is private. If your student has ongoing health issues, you and your student should discuss the privacy balance that fosters their
independence while being an available parental resource.
Psychological Services:
Students, if the
stress
of the transition- whether it be academics or social doesn't feel right, please reach out to your campus support center. You may be surrounded by 5000 or 50,000 students yet still feel isolated. It can take time to build friendships and find the support you need. Don't hesitate to reach out to trained professionals who offer you the extra ear and professional support if needed. Your resident advisor is trained to address a variety of issues and can certainly
Two Awesome Resources
Letting Go, Sixth Edition: A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years by K-L Colburn
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success
by J-L Haims
CAMPUS CAREER FAIRS
Fall Career Fairs- Resume/Linked In, Your career center. It's hard to imagine that sometime this fall you'll be attending your first campus career fair. Recruiters will be hiring graduates and hiring summer interns for 2020! How can you prepare now?
Visit the career center link at your college website. Register and establish an account. Once on campus, check-in with the counselor assigned to freshman.
Join your college's networking group on LinkedIn - Yes, establish your linked in acct! Need help? Your career center will have examples of freshman resumes - focused on project work, computing languages, previous internships. Need help?
If you are already thinking about medical school or graduate school, research is critical. Check out the REU website. REU -- I work with pre-med students throughout college providing pre-health profession academic advising leading into the medical school and graduate school application process.
UNDERGRADUATE TRANSITION:
During freshmen orientation you'll meet classmates, finalize course selections, and become more familiar with the campus. As a high school sophomore and junior, we researched colleges not only to explore academics, but to consider the "fit" for campus life. You may want to think about club sports, campus organizations and other opportunities you'll explore upon arrival.
As you begin to think about the classes you will enroll, think about the actual daily schedule. Do you plan to take early morning classes or pack your classes into afternoons? Think carefully about spreading out your classes so that the schedule is filled with valuable time slots to balance your academics and social life. Students, your schedule is now your own (You will pick the time of day to enroll in Chemistry!), so be wise about how you build time into your day for actual classes, study time, eating, gym, work-study and activities.
Wishing the freshman class of 2023 a very successful and smooth transition ahead! Stay in touch and perhaps reach out to continue your academic advising with me.
High School
Seniors (class of 2020), as you begin/continue work on your college applications, I encourage you to revisit newsletters shared the past few months.
